Device for sealing and unsealing freight-cars and the like



(ModeL) J. 'O. RICHARDSON. DEVICE FOR SEALING AND UNSEALING FREIGHT CARS AND IIII: LIKE.

Patented Aug. 8, 1882.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. RICHARDSON, OF BOSCOBEL, VVISGONSIN.

DEVICE FOR SEALING AND UNSEALING FREIGHT-CARS AND THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 262,316, dated August 8, 1882,

Application filed October 21,1881. (ModeLl To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMns U. RICHARDSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boscobel, in the county of Grant and State of NViseonsi'n, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Device for Sealing and Unsealing Freight-Cars and the Like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification. v

My invention relates to a device for sealing and unsealing freight-cars and the like, especially adapted for service upon freight-trains, cattle-trains, or other conveyances; and the novelty consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as will be more full y hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the clam.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation broken away at the chisel-point; Fig. 2, an end section, partly in elevation; and Fig. 3 a perspective view of the seal and its attachment.

To enable those skilled in the art to which the invention relates to make and use the same, I will describe the construction and operation of the device, referring by letter to the accompanying drawings.

A A represent duplicate cross-levers, pivoted together at a in any suitable manner, and having a spring, B, adapted to hold the operating-jaws A apart. The operating-jaws A, I will, for convenience, designate by the letters as and :r, the former of which is provided with a cutting-edge, z, and a punch, y,

or eyelet-fastener y, and the latter with a cor responding cutting-edge, z, and a chisel-edge, y. The cutting-edges z z operate together to sever the metal seal after the punch, 850., has secured the metal eyelet to the metal band.

Details of construction may be modified without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of my invention, the essential features of which consist in the combined tool shown.

The chisel end allows the operator to insert onejaw of the implement, whatever the position of the band, and the shear-jaws allow the operator to sever the seal, as will be readily understood from the drawings.

This device is designed for a specific purpose and seeks to overcome inconveniences, obstacles, and delay in sealing and unsealing freight-cars. The chisel-edge upon the end of one of the jaws serves eiticiently with the the on tting-edges 2. When the operator-wishes to unseat the car by severing one of the seallaps, which are close together and have to be separated in order to introduce the cutters near the pivot a, where the greatest strength resides, he presses the chisel end between the laps, forces that jaw inward until the said lap rests upon the cutting edge, and then, by bringing the handles A A together, severs the seal in such a manner as to leave the seal intact, to be used for reference to show that the seal had not been tampered with. This separating the laps and severing one from either side by one thrust or operation of the device by the chisel end and the shears or cutters in their specific relations, as shown, are deemed to be important features in this invention.

I am aware that punches and eyelet-fasteners, cutting-edges, and chisel-points are old in various arrangements, and such devices, per 80, are not sought to be covered in this application; but

What I do claim is As a new article of manufacture, the device for sealing and unsealing freight-cars, herein described, consisting of the cross-levers A A, having the operating-jaws a; m, the eyeletpunch y and socket, and the cutting edges 2 2 near the pivot, and also having the chisel end 1 adapted to precede the cutting-edge z and open the seal-laps for the action of the said cutters by a single thrust, and the spring B, the whole constructed, arranged, and combined to operate for the specific purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES (J. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

H. CLAY SMITH, (J. S. BUNDY. 

